Hey everyone, I'm currently dealing with a former client who has been messaging me on my personal facebook threatening to out me to my friends and family if I do not allow him to take photos and videos of a session with me. He is posting my personal photos on a regional board as his profile picture as well. Can I feel safe to go to the authorities for help? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I would hope that the authorities would be keen on bagging a blackmailer (a very serious felony, by the way) but your exposure being an escort has to be delicately handled. A good lawyer should be able to negotiate these matters.
If you have no idea which lawyer to consult with, contact the local bar association in your area and they should be able to give you referrals for competent attorneys in that field.
Do not under any circumstances acquiesce to the blackmailer's demands till then, or have any contact with the perp
Sorry you are dealing with such a screwed up situation. What I recommend is finding a criminal defense lawyer who is a former prosecutor in whatever county you are in. They can have valuable insight into how things like this are handled in your jurisdiction, something that can vary widely from county to county. You do need to tread lightly, at least until you confirm that the authorities are going to take his threats seriously. Depending on your location, they may take it REAL seriously. I am involved in a similar situation for a friend with a similar background and her stalker is currently in custody with a 1/4 million bail.
On a practical side, if you haven't already done so, preserve the communications that he sent by taking screen shots of everything then printing hard copies. The sooner you do this, the better, electronic evidence, especially on Facebook, has a way of disappearing. Good luck.
I would describe this as a stalker / blackmailer... when seeking legal help.
Let the attorney deal with the Police & Prosecutor. The Atty might need to hire an investigator (PI) or other tech researcher or possibly subpeana records to identify the person through his postings... or maybe not...
Sometimes a cease & desist order on Legal Letterhead to the perp's given name & address, sends them scurryng away like the creap they are. They figured on coercing you... not the other way around...
You will certainly need to keep a low profile through this. You should not go to the Police yourself... lest they get diverted into going after you & not your blackmailer.
You may have to decide on whether to prosecute... or just make him go away...
In the future... you need more separation between your work life & your real life.
I wonder how many guys are going to post "Get an Attorney!" on this thread. Fisher's initial response was sufficient.
Kassidy, I'm going to assume that you can't afford an attorney & that's why you're looking for help here. My advice: go to the police. Unless you solicited a police officer, they can't prosecute you for last week's session. When presented with a serious extortion attempt, the cops are not going to care that you're a provider.
If you don't go to the police, then your options are more limited. You need to understand the play. This blackmailer enjoys having power over you. He likes that fact that you're frightened--he feeds off that. You need to cut off his oxygen:
1. Disable all of your social media accounts.
2. Block his contact on your phone & e-mail.
3. Report him to your screening service.
4. Report him on the "providers only" board in your hometown.
5. There must be one man in your life--(a relative, former boyfriend, etc) who you can trust. Go to him and tell him everything.
Here's what you cannot do: you absolutely cannot give in to an extortionist's demands. Blackmail is open-ended--there's no expiration date. You're dealing with a manipulative sociopath. Even if you give in to his initial demands, he will never leave you alone. You need to be ruthless now. I'm sorry this happened to you, good luck. --
Don't follow Zangari's advice!!
Never trust Cops! Cops lie, Cops Manipulate. Cops must be avoided.
If you truly are low on funds....most decent attorneys will be willing to work with you.
Again, stay away from the cops!
Kassidy, I'm going to assume that you can't afford an attorney & that's why you're looking for help here. My advice: go to the police. Unless you solicited a police officer, they can't prosecute you for last week's session. When presented with a serious extortion attempt, the cops are not going to care that you're a provider.
If you don't go to the police, then your options are more limited. You need to understand the play. This blackmailer enjoys having power over you. He likes that fact that you're frightened--he feeds off that. You need to cut off his oxygen:
1. Disable all of your social media accounts.
2. Block his contact on your phone & e-mail.
3. Report him to your screening service.
4. Report him on the "providers only" board in your hometown.
5. There must be one man in your life--(a relative, former boyfriend, etc) who you can trust. Go to him and tell him everything.
Here's what you cannot do: you absolutely cannot give in to an extortionist's demands. Blackmail is open-ended--there's no expiration date. You're dealing with a manipulative sociopath. Even if you give in to his initial demands, he will never leave you alone. You need to be ruthless now. I'm sorry this happened to you, good luck. --z
First of all, there are plenty of attorneys who do an initial consultations for free and will work out fairly reasonable fee arrangements, particularly in a situation such as this.
Next, the poster goes on to give very detailed legal advice, making any number of assumptions that could very well be wrong so following his suggestions could very well make the situation worse. Especially the part about assuming the cops in her jurisdiction are either going to be supportive and sympathetic or use this as a means of targeting her. There a lot of cops who love to go for the low-hanging fruit, which is what she could become here. Also "there must be a man in your life"? Really?
This is very complicated situation, presenting a number of fairly sophisticated legal issues. If your stomach started acting up and you think it's appendicitis, your first move probably isn't to do a couple of shots and start digging away with a steak knife. Talk to a lawyer in your jurisdiction before you do anything else. The last thing you should do is heed specific legal advice here.
Post from Know-Nothing #1:
Post from Criminal Defense Attorney Susan E. Anderson ( Dallas, Texas) advising a prostitute who is being blackmailed: " I would report this to the police immediately!! You cannot be arrested for anything you may have done in the past, unless one of your past "dates" was a cop."
Zangari again: I don't have a problem with people posting opinions that differ from mine. I do have a problem with Know-Nothings who assume their opinions are fact. --z
-- Modified on 7/26/2015 7:54:30 AM
Laws and attitudes vary from state to state; and municipalities to municipalities. In this specific case, the woman never had an encounter with the man who was attempting to blackmail her! In the case above, I believe Kasy had met with this perp and he too is attempting to blackmail her.
I lived in Manhattan for 25 years. I may not know as much as Zangari, but I do know that some of NY Finest, are also some of NY most corrupt! If I was in a legally compromised situation, I would put my faith and funds, with a legal professional who would have my interests at heart, as opposed to an unknown law enforcement officer, who probably would have his/her interests at heart!
Post from Know-Nothing #2:
Post from Criminal Defense Attorney Susan E. Anderson ( Dallas, Texas) advising a prostitute who is being blackmailed: " I would report this to the police immediately!! You cannot be arrested for anything you may have done in the past, unless one of your past "dates" was a cop."
Zangari again: I don't have a problem with people posting opinions that differ from mine. I do have a problem with Know-Nothings who assume their opinions are fact. --z
-- Modified on 7/26/2015 7:54:30 AM
I suspect you have misunderstood this attorney. It would be accurate to say
that, in many states, “You can’t be arrested WITHOUT A WARANT for a MISDEMEANOR you have done in the past” bc such a warrantless arrest is permissible only if the illegal conduct occurs in the presence of the officer. A lady who confesses she is a pro, however, most certainly can be arrested for that past illegal conduct WITH a warrant. And because multiple illegal acts of prostitution sometimes are deemed felonies in many states, she could be arrested without a warrant in those states.
So I think I’d agree with the two no nothings and atty who say consult a skilled atty for your options
In the posted link as the story goes, a prostitute gets coerced into performing unpaid sexual acts (allegedly) with an individual who had also initially pretended to be a law enforcement officer. The reason that the online attorney is suggesting for this prostitute to file a complaint with the police is two fold:
1- Sexual acts via coercion which can be construed as an act of sexual assault.
2- Someone is or at least was impersonating a peace officer.
The above scenario does have stronger foundation than that of yours, which as I understand, involves a prior client (by your own admission) threatening to "out" you and divulge your illicit profession to both your friends and family. IMHO, your case is a weaker one as compared to the one being referenced by "Zangari", although he is using stalking and threats to coerce you into future sexual acts.
Now I am not an attorney like most of the folks on here, but based on the information divulged on here, common sense must prevail. Here are my 2 cents FWIW:
Go visit with a criminal defense attorney before you file a complaint with the police. Such laws are and can be quite different from state to state, barring interstate kidnapping and trafficking which will then become a Federal offense. The problem with filing a complain with the police without an initial consultation with an attorney can translate into some interviewing detective getting much more self incriminating information out of you regarding this matter.
The notion that you can not be arrested on past illegal activities, is just a very naive notion and a lot more other factors come into play under that umbrella statement. Case in point, most murderers would love point out to this little nugget of a law, if it was entirely factual 
Goo see a lawyer!
Casino Stocks, you haven't posted on the Legal Corner since 2011. But just one day after our little dustup on the Erotic Highway Board, here you are on LC replying to my post. By coincidence, I watched a horror film last night, "It Follows". After a young couple have sex, the guy tells his date that she will soon have a demon stalker. This stalker is passed from one sexual partner to another.
This is such a timely film. My punishment for fucking those "premium white girls" (your term) is a demon stalker from the Erotic Highway.
The legal opinion above is by Mr. Casino Stocks, Know-Nothing #3. As another poster noted on this thread, you need evidence to prosecute. Simply admitting that you've committed the crime of prostitution in the past is like admitting you were driving drunk two months ago.
A criminal charge needs to be *specific*. Where's the evidence that the police would use to charge the victim with a specific act of prostitution. What day & time was the crime committed. Where was the crime committed. The judge needs to know that. What? They don't have that evidence? Case dismissed. --
Irrespective of when I last participated on the LC forum (since you pointed out Sept 2011, which is analogous to the pot calling the kettle black) I merely highlighted to the OP to take your advice with a major handful of salt! People who are not familiar with the character which you play on these forums ought to know that you are an idiot savant whose favorite method of dealing with others is to call them a "know-nothing". I don't claim to know everything or many thing but I know one thing for certain that YOU ARE A PRICK!
Now let us revisit the OP:
"Hey everyone, I'm currently dealing with a former client who has been messaging me on my personal facebook threatening to out me to my friends and family if I do not allow him to take photos and videos of a session with me. He is posting my personal photos on a regional board as his profile picture as well. Can I feel safe to go to the authorities for help? Any help would be greatly appreciated!"
There is circumstantial evidence in there if she just walks into a police station and over zealous detective makes it his or her mission to make a mountain out of this mole hill. She is admitting on here that this man is a former client and that he is badgering her to do a session with him when and where he wishes to film and photograph the session. I merely highlighted to the OP (not to you Prick) that the link which you provided as a case study seems vastly different to the annoyance and the threats which the OP is experiencing.
In every thread on every forum where you "contribute" (in the loosest terms of this word) you love to address many other posters as a slew of know-nothings! Since I don't particularly care for your sociopathic character trait, I have made it a mission to dump on you as often as possible!
As you had very aptly stated, from nowt, "it follows". Enjoy!
DA: Your Honor, the defendant filed an extortion complaint and admitted to being a prostitute. The state has filed prostitution charges against the defendant. We don't have specific dates and times but…
Judge: What are you doing in my courtroom.
The reason you're here now is that you got reamed on the Erotic Highway.
Would be a great album title.
Extortion is taken much more seriously than escorting. Also, you would seem to have something like proof of extortion, and the escorting would be probably he said/she said.
Thank you everyone for your input. I have a consultation today with an attorney, and I'm really looking forward to putting this behind me. Everyone have a great day and remember to be nice to each other! xo
Good luck and let us know how it goes. Hopefully just telling the guy that you've spoken to an attorney will be enough to scare him off.
Speak with an attorney about implicating yourself.
There are many attorneys who will provide a free 15-30 minute consultation,
speak with a few, in person and online for the best decision.
As other person said, screenshot everything. Especially try to get date and times
included in any of the screenshots.
Respond once, only to inform him you are in consultation with an attorney, and he is
forcing you to have the police contact him should he decide to continue down this path. Say nothing else and do not respond to him again.
I wish you the best and be careful.
B
But making a statement that implicates yourself in a SPECIFIC act with a specifc person at a specific place & time... sure is. It is a "Confession".
That said, you should not be necessary to reveal the specifics of a relationship with a former intimate partner... beyond that it is over & that said party is trying to extort you.
In most jurisdictions, hobby offenses are misdemeanors. In general, misdemeanors must be witnessed by a LEO UNLESS the person confesses.
Example: Acting on a citizen complaint of a disturbance, a man is found in his truck with a woman. The man complains he paid for a sex act & after taking the money, she refuses to do the deed. He is arrested for solicitation based on his own statement (confession). This was a current case in the news dicussed in class by the professor.
That said, you should not be necessary to reveal the specifics of a relationship with a former intimate partner... beyond that it is over & that said party is trying to extort you.
Let him known what type of damage that could do him in a background check and future employment. That will get him to stop in a heart beat.
-- Modified on 8/13/2015 12:34:00 AM
he is counting on doing this to you while not being outted himself. In a lot of cases... once his real identity is known (you might have the info already, or need an IT investigator or PI) but this is where your lawyer comes in. A Ease & Desist letter from your lawyer, to his real name, real address, etc turns the table on him. Now some might get aggresive toward you but most will decide that THEY don't want to be outted publically.
A Restraining Order or pursueing criminal charges (extortion or blackmail, both felonies) would come if he ignores the C&D. If he has any sense, he'll decide "he was only joking" & disappear